Many things in the world are ironical...and the irony sometimes doesn't elude even the Nirvana attained. Incidentally, Buddha's statues are the most sold idols in the planet..so much of irony for someone who was against idol worship. And I for once am not complaining though Idol worship isn't something I advocate or practice.
I always had an affinity to the Buddha - probably because I recollect my history lessons to great detail. I remember being shaken by the story of Asoka the great and how he embraced Buddhism upon witnessing the gore post Kalinga war. When I read about Siddartha the Gautama's own story I was even intrigued. A prince that had it all going for him, and one random incident he witnesses brings him instantly back to the source, when he realizes that everything we desire, own, accumulate and take pride in having is all but a cosmic illusion as the body drops dead one day, and all these things dissolve into nothing. Nirvana didn't come easy to the prince. He renounced the last of his comforts as a royal, including his wife and son, and walked bare feet, doing intense penance to attain the ultimate us believers believe in - Salvation!
No wonder the Buddha became my hero - My brand ambassador for peace and bliss, my icon for this spiritual journey I embarked upon lately and against my own strong resistance to buying images of Gods and Goddesses that practicing Hindus oh so readily warm up to, I had this urge to sit Him as my companion on this desk where I ponder and sketch and paint. From a long time, I had a unexplainable attraction towards succulents, perhaps another one of those biology lessons did the trick, where in I read about the self sufficiency and hardiness of this plant group. So I created this miniature succulent garden on my writing desk and thought to myself - "All I need is a desktop fountain and a form of the Buddha amid this yearning to bring a fleck of nature to my surface and I have created my perfection" and my quest to spot the perfect Buddha statue commenced.
After the significant other and the rugrats left to pursue their life paths, I pursued mine, albeit on a seemingly silly quest to find the Man of my dreams, sitting still in meditation, offering a blessing with his open palm while doing what he is good at doing. I went to every possible store that could carry a Buddha statue and I wasn't pleased with any of the choices. It was in a way like looking for the perfect man to start a life with ;) And perfection, I realized so long back, is an illusion. Notwithstanding the realization, the hard to please component in my system didn't compromise.
"His head looks disproportional" I thought looking at one statue.
"His smile isn't carved like it is supposed to be. His smile should indicate bliss. This doesn't"
"This one looks off somewhere, he looks tired, and this weighs a ton too"
The dismissals were brutal and constant but I told to myself that I'll get him on my terms or I won't get him at all. After that affirmation occurred to me, the pursuit kind of skipped my short attention span and I went around doing other things and stopped looking. Until He came seeking me in the most unusual of places, in a form that couldn't have been more perfect.
When I sat myself comfortable on the floors of Barnes and Noble booksellers, reading away like the world ceased to exist, I had a sudden though to walk around to the back of the store, that I usually don't venture into. When I followed the thought and went to the back, I spotted a clearance bin with bunny toys and such - the remnants from the Easter merchandise marked down to make way for some newness.
The pastel stuff toys looked at me alluringly and I walked closer - inside that rubble, was a spikey little crown peeking out. I thought it could be a garden gnome and pulled it up. Lo and behold, It was the statue of the Buddha, looking every bit in bliss like He is supposed to look, sporting that enigmatic smile, delicately closed eyes, and what looked like a sash of succulents wrapping from his right shoulder, cascading onto his chest. I had seen the Buddha in a variety of interpretations, but never in the world did I see a Buddha sporting succulents on his chest and shoulders. And he was marked down to a song, waiting there for me to come and discover him and take him home.
As mushy, sentimental and overtly syrupy this sounds, what are the chances of a coincidence that one spots a Buddha with succulent accents for one's table top succulent garden in a book store of all places and in a Easter clearance bin? Zilch I would guess - unless I take it to the next tier of my signature gooey and emotional - I do not believe in coincidences and I cannot be grateful enough for the whole universe that conspired to get the perfect realized Buddha to my humble company.
Here's a toast to the cosmic puzzle, that drops in the perfect fits to every sincere wish you release into the ether.
"what you are seeking is seeking you" Have no doubts.
Long live faith, belief and ethos of the Spiritual seekers.
And by the way, Perfection isn't an illusion.
